Oliver Twist (2005)–I’d like to NOT thank the Academy

February 10, 2007

Roman Polanski’s film on Dicken’s OLIVER TWIST is terrific. I checked IMDB.com to see what awards it won and was shocked to see it got none. There is a bullet at the bottom of the page that says “Why did the Academy deny this movie nominations?” and the answer: “Politics. Roman’s history got in the way of this wonderfully directed piece from the recognition it deserved.”

It’s a shame, nearly everything in the film is excellent. Ben Kingsley as Fagin was one of his most brilliant character roles and could have easily won him a Best Supporting Actor role.

Rachel Portman provided a brilliantly simple score to the film. She has qualities that remind me of the Americana side of Aaron Copland and a bit of the minor obsession that Danny Elfman has. Hers is a career to watch and enjoy.